Eaileoad-cab coupling



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`Car Coupling. No. 26,303. Patented Nov. 29, 1859.

w UMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JoSEPH R. SWIFT, or NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. q Q

RAILROAD-CAR COUPLING.

Specification `of Letters Patent No To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R. SWIFT, of `New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a `new and usefullmprovement in Automatic Railroad-Gar Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, `and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a longitudinal section of my improved automatic coupling, in the position for being brought into operation. Fig. 2, is a similar section of the same as in operation. Fig.` 3, is a plan view of the coupling in the same condition as represented in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, is a front end view of one of the bumpers.

Similar letters of reference, in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

Before stating my invention, I will premiseby saying that I am aware that many automatic car couplings have been patented and that the same principle which I have adapted in my coupling has been embodied in some of these, and that therefore I do not intend to cover by my patent, any new principle, but simply` the embodiment of an old principle in a new and improved organization of mechanism.` .i I

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed `to describe its construction and operation.

A, A', represent the bumpers or draw heads of two cars. The sockets B,`B, of these draw heads are made flaring at their front end in every direction, so as to readily admit thecoupling link, D. These sockets are foreshortened from their top to near the center of their depth by means of horizontal shoulders a, a, and consequently are longer from their front end to their rear ends, below said shoulders, than they are from their front to their rear ends, above the base of the shoulders. By `thus constructing the socle ets the deep portions f, f, in front of the shoulders a, 0;, are of sufficient size to readily admit the link and allow the same considerable up and down play, but the shallow portions beyondsaid shoulders are just the same sizeas the link, and when the link enters the shallow portion g, of either of the 26,303, dated November `m59.

sockets it has no chance to play, and consefl quently remains 1n `a horizontal position, or., 1

in such a position inthe: bottom of the.:`

bumper or drawhead that the hook of ani approaching or stationary car willcertainly]` l strike the link in the right mannertoin-"GO" sul-e a perfect couplingoffthe twofcarsf 2` s together. i, x C, C, represent theelbow orilever `hook of the two draw heads."` Thesehooks are at tached to axial rods el, ,arranged at" the top the hooks pass down through the slotsfbyc, the front. side of the slot c,acting,asf.a.;stop` to the extremity ofsaidportionof `the*hook* and the slot Z2, providingroomfor thefsame"` to play backward wlienitiis desiredto effectl an uncoupling of the carsyasillustrated in f i red in Fig. 1. Thejhorizontal"portion,it of the elbow hook rests above thetopI ofthe draw heads and extends back far enough` to 11 give a sufficient length ofleyerage to lift the hook out of thelink or overcome the` tudinal strain upon the link fwhen` thelcarsffl y" so"` more foarsf of` theh` are in motion andsafety, requires lafdis-f contmuation of one S or train.

A weight ori ball is" provided on] this llev? i y n end so that the hook `will always have a" tendency to keep down in; the linkwhen the` readily slip out of thelinkfwhenftheopera-1 tion of uncoupling is being performed. l

From the foregoing description, itmwill l v f i seen that my invention is justthe thing de- 1 il, s I 1 sired by rail-road companies; it beingalmostk as simple as the commonlcouplmg pm, and; yet free from the @very `great 1objection `tof` their lives in going between 1thefoars to afl-i just it. It also possesses thelvery greatfadl 1 3i` vantage of providing sulficientI-leverage, in; the hook itself, whereby the cars can be"`un`1 coupled While in i motion lor` exerting` longi-` tudinal strain on the links by.anjnpWard` pull of the train-hand thusthspgwelf and near the front` of thebumpersorw fi draw heads. `Ihevertical` portions ,im/of y i 31010?? the same, viz: `the necessity of `men riskingl of the train hand Obtained, instead of only the peculiarly construeted elbow shaped his weight as in levell links which are opgravitating lever hook C, m, n, in the Inanerated by a downward thrust. ner and for the purpose herein described.

What I claim as my invention and desire JOSEPH R. SWIFT. 5 to secure by Letters Patent, is Witnesses: Y

The combination of the peculiarly con- GOODWIN Y. AT LEE, structed draw head A, B, f, a, g, Z2, 0, with R. W. FENWIOK. 

